


Worldbuilding 6: That One Time Rictor Punched Cyclops In The Face

by JoAsakura



Series: X-Force: Mutant Crimes Investigation Unit [6]
Category: MCIU
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-10-22
Updated: 2010-10-22
Packaged: 2017-10-12 19:54:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/128455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoAsakura/pseuds/JoAsakura
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>exactly what is says on the tin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Worldbuilding 6: That One Time Rictor Punched Cyclops In The Face

That Time When Rictor Punched Cyclops In the Face

It only takes one small action to change an entire course of events.

Ric knows that intimately. It's only been a couple of months since he's been given an unprecedented third chance to not fuck things up with the person who is arguably the love of his life.

But that's a story for a different time.

Now, Ric and 'Star and the core of Cable's MCIU are in full uniform, sitting uncomfortably in the parlour of the Xavier Institute. As a rule, X-Force is not a team that takes to sitting still very well. Even Sam, who is the most at home amongst the X-Men looks like he'd very much rather be somewhere else.

Coffee is cooling on the table and Cyclops is looking at them like he's trying to will the optic beams through his glasses.

Several hours previously:

"You're kiddin' right?" Ric blurted out when Nate explained where they were going.

"I want Scott and the others to recognize the legitimacy of this undertaking." Nate said, rubbing his newly-shaven chin. "We've got an image among the X-men as criminals, Ric."

"That'd be because...we kinda are, Nate." Sam offered, tugging on the collar of his dress uniform. "Ah mean, we got Val Cooper an' the Mayor on our side, which is great, but we kinda have caused millions of dollars in gross property damage over the years."

"No more than the Avengers." Nate responded. "Look. The X-men don't like us. But I want them to understand that we're the ones trying to help the people left behind when the spandex goes away."

"Which is why we have to wear our dress uniforms?" 'Star squirmed. "I don't like these, Cable. They're difficult to move in."

"We're not going looking for a fight, 'Star." Nate chided, helping him adjust his coat. "We're going to show them that we're respectable. And if this works out, we'll have access to all the same resources they do, rather than just our really tiny federal budget and the stipend that the X-Corporation left for us."

Now:

"Cable, I don't know what mind-trick you played on Val Cooper to get the feds to back you guys, but I'm impressed." Scott Summers said, pacing.

Domino rolled her eyes and nudged Monet in the side.

Scott shot them a dirty look then continued. "In our eyes, your little band of renegades did more to ruin the image of mutants in two years than most supervillians can do in a lifetime. Two words, "HOOVER DAM"."

"There was a Sentinel base hidden in there. I have no regrets." Nate was trying very hard to not glower.

"No regrets? Not even for taking some really bright, impressionable kids- like Sam? Or.. or like Julio? Look, we offered you a home, and you took off with a group of innocent kids and turned them almost into little Deadpools?" Scott stabbed a finger towards where the members of X-Force sat.

Ric and Sam exchanged a confused look. "Deadpool? eW?" Ric mouthed and Sam shrugged broadly.

"Scott, you're not..." Nate started.

"Julio is nothing like Deadpool. In any sense." 'Star said reasonably, staring at his cup of coffee. "I mean, I had the bad fortune to see Wade naked once and.."

"Ok, THIS is exactly what I'm talking about." Scott gestured towards Shatterstar. In the space between his words, both Evan Frost and Betsy Braddock backed away. The telepaths knew instinctively that something extremely ill-advised was about to come out of Scott's mouth and neither one wanted to be in range of the fallout. Even Monet scootched subtly towards the other end of the couch. "Rictor was a good kid before you got ahold of him and paired him off with your stab-happy psychopathic man-whore refugee from Mojoworld! He's everything we hated about Longshot!"

"CABRON! What the fuck did you jus' say about my boyfriend?" The coffee table upended as Rictor shot to his feet.

When they broke it down later, after the X-Men had kicked them out, Nate would only say that he was impressed with Rictor's improved reaction time.

Right at that moment though, after the first crack of Rictor's fist against Cyclops' nose, there was a great deal of shouting and Shatterstar rapidly caught Rictor in a headlock. "JULIO, NO! Remember what you always are telling me- that he's not worth the assault charge!" The windows rattled violently then stopped.

Around them, the rest of X-Force had fallen into combat formation.

Scott prodded his bleeding nose gingerly, then shot an angry look at Cable. "Out. All of you. And don't bother coming back. Ever."

Jimmy crammed a scone in his mouth as Logan escorted them out. "That went well. We really showed 'em we're respectable."

 

Logan tried very hard not to smirk.


End file.
